(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved nail catcher for attachment to a nail clipper to provide an improved nail clipper, of the type which retains nail clippings during the process of clipping.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
Finger and toenail clippers having means for collecting nail clippings during the clipping process are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,698 patented Dec. 24, 1974 by K.R. Crosby provided an enclosed nail clip and an enclosing case having a reservoir structure for the clipped nails. The clipping lever was enclosed but had an exposed lever-end accessible for applying finger pressure thereto to close the clipper blades. The casing structure provided a concavely-shaped aperture following the opposing blades providing access to finger ends carrying nails to be clipped. The enclosure was openable for emptying collected nail clippings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,966 patented Dec. 21, 1976 by J. J. A. Sertore provided a nail clipper which had upper and lower handles to facilitate holding the unit and maintaining it in the desired position. It had cutting jaws on three sides to allow nail clipping for different and more convenient angles, and a clipping-receiving receptacle with a removable lid for surrounding the unit and holding the nail clippings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,312 patented Feb. 16, 1965 by C. H. Fink provided a nail guard for mounting on a nail clipper. The nail guard possessed sufficient flexibility so as to enable a slight outward flexing of the side panels which was sufficient to allow the positioning of the lower jaw member between the detents and the bottom panel. Means were provided for pivotally mounting the guard on the nail clipper for movement between a first position where the side panels were positioned on opposite sides of the space between the jaw members so as to enclose this space, and a second position wherein the guard was oriented below the lower jaw so as to open the space between the jaws, and providing a barrier for retaining the cut nails within the enclosed space.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,376 patented Feb. 7, 1961 by C. S. Kuo provided a nail clipper device including a pair of normally parallel upper and lower blade members of equal width, a block integrally connecting one end of the blade members together, the opposite ends of the blade members being deformed toward each other and defining cutting edges, and a U-shaped closure member normally closing the sides of the device between the blade members. The closure member was slidably mounted on the device, the closure member together with the blade members and the block normally defining a storage compartment for storing removed nail portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,754 patented May 1, 1962 by E. J. Pocoski provided a nail clipper including opposed elongated flexible jaw members and a single element associated with the jaw members and consisting of a peripherally continuous rectangular sleeve of resilient material having aligned openings in each of a pair of opposite sides therof. The sleeve enclosed the jaw members near the cutting end thereof. The jaw members had openings aligned with the openings of the sleeve. During a cutting stroke, the sleeve flexed with movement of the jaw members and defined an enclosure for confining nail clippings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,753 patented May 1, 1962 by E. J. Pocoski provided a nail clipper including opposed, elongated flexible jaw members fastened together at one end and having cutter jaws at its other end. Guard means were associated with the cutter jaws, the side walls of the guard means together with the jaw members defining an enclosure for confining clippings during a cutting stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,995,820 patented Aug. 15, 1961 by E. J. Pocoski provided a nail clipper including opposed, elongated flexible jaw members fastened together at one end and having cutter jaws at the other end, and a single guard element secured to the jaw members. The guard element included two opposed side walls defining with the jaw members. An enclosure was provided for confining clippings during a cutting stroke, and flexible tongue was integrally connected to the side walls and extended to the point of connection of the jaw members. The tongue was sufficiently flexible with respect to the cutting jaw ends to permit the guard element to be flexed away from the jaw members by manual pressure to open the enclosure substantially completely.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,923 patented Jul. 23, 1957 by H. Senshu provided a nail clipper including top and bottom walls, means resiliently connecting the top and bottom walls, the walls having opposed jaws at the ends thereof, means for moving the jaws toward and away from each other, and a channel-shaped closure member having side walls and a bottom connecting member. Means pivotally connected the channel-shaped member to the sides of the clipper, the channel-shaped member being movable between a position in which the side walls block the side openings between the top and bottom walls, and a position in which the side walls clear the side openings between the top and bottom walls.
Min U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,929 issued Sep. 2, 1980, Young U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,015 issued Jul. 27, 1982 and Hannon U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,120 issued Apr. 19, 1983, all describe and illustrate nail clippers of a conventional type but additionally having receptacles for retaining the clipped-off fingernail or toenail portions. In the Hannon and Min devices, the retainers are formed with retaining walls about the sides of the nail clipper, so that the nail clippings are retained between the plates of the clipper to which the cutting edges of the clippers are attached. In the Min device, the retainer comprises a tubular housing for virtually the entire clipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,948 patented Mar. 16, 1976 by J. J. A. Sintore provided a case for a nail clipper comprised of a generally-longitudinally-tubular portion in which a nail clipper can be inserted therein. The case conformed to the same general outline of the nail clipper which it housed and was shell-like in appearance. It included internal pressure catches captively to hold the nail clipper in place. It had provision in its top wall to allow for the free movement of the operating handle and provision for a file, placed on a transverse to the longitudinal portion, and also contained a closeable and sealable front lid.
Canadian Patent No. 1,201,884 issued Mar. 18, 1986 to T. C. Webe provided an alleged improvement in a nail clipper including a stationary plate means and a plate means relatively movable with respect thereto, the plate means being joined at one end and the opposite ends having nail cutting edges, and a pivoted lever means associated with the movable plate means for movement thereof. In the improvement, a nail clipping retainer means was secured to and positioned below the stationary plate means. The retainer means had walls defining a chamber for receiving and holding the nail clippings below the stationary plate means, and an aperture behind the nail cutting edges of the stationary plate means communicating with the chamber to receive nail clippings and enable them to pass to the chamber.